New science equipment to give Global Charter students head start in college

NEW BEDFORD — Maria Ponte, who'll enter her senior year at Global Learning Charter Public School come fall, will take a new Advanced Placement Biology class.

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By CAROL KOZMA

southcoasttoday.com

By CAROL KOZMA

Posted Jul. 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By CAROL KOZMA
Posted Jul. 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — Maria Ponte, who'll enter her senior year at Global Learning Charter Public School come fall, will take a new Advanced Placement Biology class.

"We will be using a lot of equipment that they use inside of (professional) labs," Ponte said. That includes electronic microscopes that transfer what they see onto a screen and protein electrophoresis "to analyze and dissect different protein molecules."

Ponte said having access to that equipment is important.

"A lot of students ... want to go into this field, and if we don't show them what they will be using they won't be prepared," she said.

In "Engineering and the Human Body," another new class being offered, students will learn physiology, anatomy and engineering concepts before, for example, building prosthetic arms with a 3D printer the school will get, said Diana Cost, a science teacher.

The equipment will be paid for by a grant from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation.

Last month, 10 schools including Global Learning shared in a $250,000 grant for teacher professional development, curriculum for biotech labs and student career exploration experiences.

Each school also got up to $24,873 for materials and equipment.

Students will also use new equipment, such as science probes to measure temperature and oxygen, in an environmental class, Cost said.

"A lot of it will be water studies because we are in a port city," she said.

Cost said learning to use the equipment will help students to "hit the ground running" when they reach college.

"It gives them real world experience" she said. "Showing these kids that they can do this and it's not impossible for them is something that the economy needs."

Cost said once Global Charter gets the equipment, the school can create partnerships with other schools to use it.

"It doesn't matter what school (the equipment is) housed in, we all need to work together to better the education," of students, she said.